Rugby | Sevens

Q&A: Cecil Afrika

The HSBC World Series kicks off in Australia's Gold Coast this weekend, so we've roped in IRB Sevens Player of the Year, Cecil Afrika, to answer a couple of your questions.

Afrika finished last year's IRB Series as top try scorer, dotting down five times more than his closest rival.

We picked a couple of questions that we felt covered the bases best, and sent them off to him. Below is what he had to say.

The question and answer session has closed.

Questions and answers

scarface asked:

Hi Cecil....Firstly CONGRATULATIONS on you winning the IRB 7''s and the SA 7''S player of the year awards...You were absolutely brilliant to watch......Secondly, who of all the opposition, do you find most difficult to beat and why?

Cecil answered:

Samoa, because of their physicality

Evan Kotze asked:

Howsit Cecil,

How do you see the game against Aus going? its Aus at home so they going to be pretty tough, cant wait till it all kicks off, we left last season on a high, and Eberson is back so its going to add a really bigger dynamic with his 15''s experience, hope we can pull off another good sevens series, send my best regards to the boys!

Cecil answered:

They are the home team and its always tough playing against the home team. Our focus is only on our first game against USA. We will focus on Australia after the Japan game.

Jonathan Isaacs asked:

Which position suits you best in the 15 man code and are you planning to play 15 man rugby in the forseeable future?

Cecil answered:

I prefer fullback but my focus will be on 7s for the next couple of years

Kamo asked:

Cecil,Just wondering how it is that the smallest team on tour does so well? SA seems to be outmuscled but we perform so well. Is it the kicking game? Or just pure guts?

Cecil answered:

Credit must go to our conditioning coach, Allan Temple-Jones. We are a close knit team and we put our bodies on the line for our country and each other.

Wihan Bester asked:

Hi CecilWho is the toughest opposition in the Sevens series? What do you think about the sevens moving to Port Elizabeth?

Cecil answered:

Sevens is very different to 15s. Any team can win on any given day, so we have to bring our A game for all the games we play. I am excited to play in PE in front of my home crowd.

Justin asked:

Hey CecilCongratcs on all your fantastic achievements this past year and I wish you a speed recovery...

I would like your thoughts on the SA Sevens Team''s chances of winning the IRB Sevens Title in 2012?Do you think it is possible to defeat the likes of NZ and Fiji in the coming year?

Cecil answered:

Thank you. Our focus is on one game at a time. There are no easy teams on the circuit.

Wade Erasmus asked:

What is your 100m time Cecil? And how often do you work on your speed as apposed to gym work?

Cecil answered:

Thanks for the question. Unfortunately this info is confidential.

siyabulela asked:

which strong opponents have you played against and how do you overcone such matches,also what keeps you ticking when it comes to game time?

Cecil answered:

I prefer to keep my focus on my performances and our team objectives.

nosizwe kom asked:

What are u doing to keep u ready for a game u inspire me as a young lady who loves rugby.

Cecil answered:

I try to get into my normal game day routine as quickly as possible. I listen to music and also spend some quiet time to prepare myself mentally.

Bruce asked:

Hi CecilJust wanted to know what it takes to get onto the 7s circuit , do they look alot at your Weight to Power ratios and make sure your up to standard with conditioning , gym testing , etc before they look at your actual playing abilities..its just something iv heard and thought obviously you would know best